Idaho’s vast natural expanses of forests, mountains and rivers are perfect for after school adventuring and leisure activities. Luckily, the state’s wealth of excellent school districts ensure that children receive a great education while they are still tucked behind their desks.

The top school district in Idaho is the McCall-Donnelly School District, located in beautiful Valley County, a renowned resort destination with myriad opportunities for outdoor recreation. Owing to the quality of both the community and its schools, MDSD’s enrollment has increased for four consecutive years, topping 1110 students in 2016.

Ranked second is Garden Valley School District, a modest sized system of four schools based in Garden Valley, ID. Performance in GVSD schools has consistently improved in recent years, thanks to a coordinated plan focused on college and career readiness.

Blaine School District, located in Hailey, ID and comprised of eight schools, comes in third. The district is well-funded and boasts a graduation rate above the national average.

Fourth-ranked Moscow School District serves the community of Moscow, ID, a major agricultural hub and home to the University of Idaho. MSD 281’s schools and surroundings undoubtedly rank among the nation’s most beautiful, contributing to a positive learning environment.

Rounding out Idaho’s top five school districts is Westside Joint School District in Dayton, ID. The modestly-sized rural district boasts a graduation rate well above the national average.

Top School Districts in Idaho, 2018

State RankSchool DistrictState
1Mc Call-Donnelly DistrictIdaho
2Garden Valley DistrictIdaho
3Blaine County DistrictIdaho
4Moscow DistrictIdaho
5West Side Joint DistrictIdaho
6Grace Joint DistrictIdaho
7Coeur D'Alene DistrictIdaho
8Madison DistrictIdaho
9Meridian Joint DistrictIdaho
10Marsh Valley Joint DistrictIdaho
11Lake Pend Oreille DistrictIdaho
12New Plymouth DistrictIdaho
13Bonneville Joint DistrictIdaho
14Lakeland DistrictIdaho
15Boise Independent DistrictIdaho
16Kimberly DistrictIdaho
17Vallivue School DistrictIdaho
18Dietrich DistrictIdaho
19Butte County Joint DistrictIdaho
20Sugar-Salem Joint DistrictIdaho
21Jefferson County Jt DistrictIdaho
22Shelley Joint DistrictIdaho
23Basin School DistrictIdaho
24Pocatello DistrictIdaho
25Cottonwood Joint DistrictIdaho
26West Jefferson DistrictIdaho
27Whitepine Jt School DistrictIdaho
28Post Falls DistrictIdaho
29Fruitland DistrictIdaho
30Notus DistrictIdaho
31Twin Falls DistrictIdaho
32Kendrick Joint DistrictIdaho
33Filer DistrictIdaho
34Weiser DistrictIdaho
35Hansen DistrictIdaho
36Murtaugh Joint DistrictIdaho
37Lewiston Independent DistrictIdaho
38Middleton DistrictIdaho
39Genesee Joint DistrictIdaho
40Salmon DistrictIdaho
41Idaho Falls DistrictIdaho
42Richfield DistrictIdaho
43Mountain View School DistrictIdaho
44Troy School DistrictIdaho
45Preston Joint DistrictIdaho
46Challis Joint DistrictIdaho
47Kuna Joint DistrictIdaho
48Bear Lake County DistrictIdaho
49Fremont County Joint DistrictIdaho
50Oneida County DistrictIdaho
51Homedale Joint DistrictIdaho
52Parma DistrictIdaho
53Nampa School DistrictIdaho
54Cascade DistrictIdaho
55Ririe Joint DistrictIdaho
56Minidoka County Joint DistrictIdaho
57Horseshoe Bend School DistrictIdaho
58Wallace DistrictIdaho
59Emmett Independent DistIdaho
60Mountain Home DistrictIdaho
61Buhl Joint DistrictIdaho
62St Maries Joint DistrictIdaho
63Melba Joint DistrictIdaho
64Snake River DistrictIdaho
65Firth DistrictIdaho
66Boundary County DistrictIdaho
67Cassia County Joint DistrictIdaho
68Teton County DistrictIdaho
69Wendell DistrictIdaho
70Jerome Joint DistrictIdaho
71Potlatch DistrictIdaho
72Wilder DistrictIdaho
73Soda Springs Joint DistrictIdaho
74Council DistrictIdaho
75Payette Joint DistrictIdaho
76American Falls Joint DistrictIdaho
77Castleford DistrictIdaho
78Blackfoot DistrictIdaho
79Shoshone Joint DistrictIdaho
80Kellogg Joint DistrictIdaho
81West Bonner County DistrictIdaho
82Hagerman Joint DistrictIdaho
83Orofino Joint DistrictIdaho
84Valley DistrictIdaho
85Marsing Joint DistrictIdaho
86Caldwell DistrictIdaho
87Aberdeen DistrictIdaho
88Glenns Ferry Joint DistrictIdaho
89Kamiah Joint DistrictIdaho
90Kootenai DistrictIdaho
91Gooding Joint DistrictIdaho
92Plummer-Worley Joint DistrictIdaho
93Lapwai DistrictIdaho
94Bruneau-Grand View Joint DistIdaho

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

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